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UPDATED: Union County Board of Elections Announces More Ballot Drop-Off Box Locations

Union County will receive a total of 22 secure ballot drop-off boxes.

Union County, NJ – Union County Board of Elections Administrator Nicole DiRado announced the locations of two additional ballot drop-off boxes for the November 3 General Election, bringing the number of drop-off boxes in Union County to nine. Over the coming weeks an additional 13 locations will be announced, for a total of 22.

[Update: As of Wednesday, September 23, the total number of installed locations is now 17, with five more locations to be announced.]

The locations of the installed drop-off boxes are:

  • Berkeley Heights – Snyder Avenue Park, 240 Snyder Avenue
  • Clark – Clark Recreation Center, 430 Westfield Avenue
  • Cranford – Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue
  • Elizabeth – Union County Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza
  • Fanwood — Fanwood Memorial Library, 5 Forest Road
  • Garwood – Garwood Public Library, 411 3rd Avenue
  • Hillside, Hillside Senior Center, 265 Hollywood Avenue
  • Kenilworth — Kenilworth Recreation Center, 575 Boulevard
  • Mountainside — Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence Road
  • Rahway – Rahway Recreation Center, 275 East Milton Avenue
  • Roselle Park – Union County EMS Building, 535 Laurel Avenue
  • Plainfield – Plainfield Municipal Building Parking Lot, 515 Watchung Avenue
  • Scotch Plains, Union County Engineering Building, 2325 South Avenue
  • Springfield — Chisolm Recreation Center, 100 South Springfield Avenue
  • Summit — Chestnut Street Parking Lot, adjacent to Fire Department, 406 Broad Street
  • Union – Union Township Municipal Building Rear Entrance, 1976 Morris Avenue
  • Westfield – Colleen Fraser Building in Union County complex, 300 North Avenue East

“When all 22 ballot drop-off boxes are in place, Union County will far exceed Governor Phil Murphy’s mandate of at least 10 drop-off boxes per county,” said Ms. DiRado. “The extra locations will help ensure that every Union County voter has convenient access to a secure, reliable, method for casting their ballot in time to be counted.”

Under Governor Murphy’s COVID-19 prevention orders, the November 3 General Election will be conducted primarily through Vote-by-Mail ballots. All registered voters will automatically receive their ballot in the mail, and are strongly urged to cast it as soon as they receive it.

Voters can choose any of the following methods to cast their Vote-by-Mail prior to, or on, Election Day, November 3:

  1. Deposit your ballot in a secure Board of Elections drop-off box. Any Union County voter can use any drop-off box in any municipality, regardless of their residence. All drop-off boxes are available on a 24/7 basis from now until the polls close at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.

A list of drop-off locations is posted on the Board of Elections website at ucnj.org/boe/ballot-drop-box-locations. The list will be updated as more drop-off boxes are added.

Each drop-off box has been placed in a secure location that is under constant surveillance. The drop-off boxes are accessible only by Board of Elections staff and are emptied daily by a bipartisan team.

  1. Return your ballot to the Board of Elections by U.S. Postal Service (postage is prepaid). Voters choosing this method are especially advised to mail their ballot as soon as they receive it, in order to avoid any unforeseen delivery delays.
  2. Deliver your ballot by hand. Voters may bring their Vote-by-Mail ballot to the Board of Elections office at 271 North Broad Street in Elizabeth, or bring it to the Union County Clerk’s main office in Elizabeth at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth, or the annex office at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield. On Election Day, all three offices will be open for extended hours until the polls close at 8:00 p.m. Voters choosing hand delivery are required to sign a register and provide a New Jersey driver’s license or other New Jersey identification.
  3. Designate a ballot bearer to deliver your ballot by hand. By law, a ballot bearer may deliver up to three ballots for other voters to the Board of Elections or County Clerk’s offices. A ballot bearer may also bring up to three ballots for other voters to a Board of Elections drop-off box. Each Vote-by-Mail ballot includes instructions for designating a ballot bearer.

In addition, when the polls are open on Election Day voters may bring their Vote-by-Mail ballot to their designated polling place. A list of polling places is available at ucnj.org/boe/where-do-i-vote. Please note that voters who come to a polling place without a Vote-by-Mail ballot will be provided with a provisional paper ballot to cast their vote.

ADA-accessible voting machines will be available at polling places only for voters with disabilities who certify that they cannot use a paper ballot.

Union County residents who have not registered to vote are reminded that the deadline for voter registration is Tuesday, October 13. For more information on voter registration visit ucnj.org/boe/voter-registration-information.

Board of Elections staff is available to answer questions about voter registration, and the office will provide extended hours on October 13 until 9:00 p.m. While visiting the office, voters must wear masks and observe social distance.

To view instructions for using a Vote-by-Mail ballot correctly, visit the Election Board online at ucnj.org/boe/make-sure-your-vote-by-mail-ballot-is-counted-2

For information on all Board of Elections services visit ucnj.org/boe, email ucboe@ucnj.org, or call 908-527-4123. All email and phone messages will be returned.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance for using the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University and a list of locations for walk-up tests in local communities, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update.

For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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